THE LEAPING TERROR

In 1838, Victorian imagination was fired up by the exploits of a daring troublemaker, dubbed “Spring-Heeled Jack” for his tendency to escape by jumping hedges and vanishing into the countryside. On January 8, the Lord Mayor publicly read a letter that he received, which warned of a person dressing up and scaring people in the villages to the east of London. The Lord Mayor then announced flatly that this person should not try their tricks in London proper, or the police would have them.On the evening of February 20, young Jane Alsop answered a furiously ringing bell to see a policeman down by the gate, who called for a candle. He claimed to have caught Spring-Heeled Jack! Jane ran the candle out to the officer, who held it up to reveal a hideous countenance as he vomited blue flames at her and then assaulted her with iron claws. With the help of her sisters, Jane was pulled back into the house. When a call went out for the police, Jack turned and bounded off.As police scrambled to find suspects, Jack struck again. On February 28, two young women, sisters, were walking home and turned down an alley. Lucy Scales, the younger sister, was a bit ahead of her sibling when a figure stepped from a dark corner and spurted blue flame right into her face. As Lucy’s sister tried to help her, this unknown person simply walked away from the scene. In both cases, police arrested and questioned many people, but nothing came of these efforts. The true identity of Spring-Heeled Jack is still unknown.'